Enjoying Amsterdam

Here I am on this June 21st evening, in the Netherlands, sitting out in 'my' little yard enjoying the evening sun. It's actually so warm at 8pm, I think I am getting tanned, or burnt! 

The absolute BEST part of the Dutch Life is biking and bikes. It's such a convenient mode of transportation and everyone seems to partake. That can make things a little tricky riding at rush hour in Amsterdam, but it works better than you'd think. Of course it's flat here, and that's what ultimately makes this work, but the design of keeping cyclists and cars apart, and making it easy to get about following extensive bike routes, truly is the cherry on top. By flat, it is really. Shockingly so. In fact, I went home to the prairies for a week and the first thing I noticed were all our hills, mounds, and slopes. I'd never really noticed them before, but there's nothing like going away to appreciate home, correct?! In addition to the flatness, there are many dykes. They range in size from ditch to river, and are even used to contain animals in a field moat-wise. The likelihood of affording waterfront here is quite possible! Of course I'm also very fond of their cheese, licorice, and stroopwafels. 

I'd mentioned before, about the lushness, and early rising of the Spring plants in this part of the world. It makes me kind of jealous, but mostly it's been a study in plants. It's rather odd that I don't know if all the plant species I have identified here even grow at home, but one of these years I'll spend the summer at home and become more acquainted with my surroundings and I'll be able to answer. For now I've been having a wee bit of fun finding those that are edible or herbal in nature, and picking some here and there. It seems the term for picking from the wild, for personal consumption, is wildcrafting. It strikes me as a contrast, my feeling of uncomfortableness at doing so, and human nature to simply collect from the wild. I prefer to be alone harvesting my found delicacy as if I'm trespassing on, well I don't know what on. It's not as though I'm doing so in someone's yard, only Mother Nature's yard, and in general I'm taking weed fragments, unwanted by many. 

What do you think of wildcrafting? Or simply harvesting nature's bounty? 

I don't feel very apologetic when I pick blackberries. Maybe I just need to get used to it. Anyways, I've become a cycling weed collector of sorts. Never leaving the house without a sack for treasures, diversifying and freshening up my menu options. Greens alone, that I know of include, dandelion, it's cousin, mustard, nettle, plus there's been hawthorn, elderflowers, chamomile, yarrow, red clover, salmon berries, plantain, comfrey... 

Cat Hotel

I like Amsterdam, and find I prefer its Jordaan area, which is a little less touristy, and a little more hip in an old secondhand cardigan kind of way. Many other places around the country have been beautiful, too - I personally suggest exploring them by bicycle! 

Since this is perfect weather for reading, I'd like to mention how informative and interesting my birthday gift, The Hidden Half of Nature, has been. Absolutely fantastic book if you are interested in nature or human biology. Which are subjects I love. I mean, I live in nature, and I have a body, so it's applicable to me ;)